The present invention relates generally to holsters for handguns, and is particularly concerned with a hanger device for such holsters for suspending the holster from the waist, hip or shoulder of a wearer.
Holsters are commonly provided with some form of hanger device for suspending the holster from a belt or waistband, or from a shoulder harness. During the past two decades, a need has been recognized for a method of suspending a holster that enables the wearer to close his or her jacket while the holstered handgun remains exposed for easy drawing. This is particularly critical in the law enforcement field, where officers must have ready access to their handgun at all times.
One solution which has been adopted is the low-mounted hanger. This type of hanger is made by folding an elongated piece of flexible material, such as leather, and stitching or otherwise fastening the free ends together to form a loop or tunnel to receive the wearer's waist belt. The free ends are then attached to the back or inner side wall of the holster using stitching, rivets or screws. Such low-mounting of the hanger provides a gap or slot between the tunnel-end of the hanger and the back of the holster. A portion of the wearer's jacket can be inserted into this gap and the jacket can then be closed while leaving the holstered handgun outside the jacket for ready access. This type of hanger is typically reinforced with an internal plate of metal or plastic, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,870 of Clark. The low-mounted hanger has been incorporated into many types of holsters, including those used by participants in competitive-type handgun shooting.
A disadvantage of the low-mounted hanger is that, while the holster and hanger assembly is typically rigid when the holster is new, with extended use the hanger and inner side wall of the holster can become over-stressed and flexible. This is in part because a "wishbone" effect is created, in which the grip of the handgun represents one free end of the wishbone, and the belt-receiving end of the hanger represents the other free end. As the result of the leverage created by this effect, the back or inner side wall of the holster, and the hanger itself, can become weakened even during normal use. Severe weakening can occur in the event that an assailant grasps the gun and attempts to remove the gun from the holster by force. Such weakening can reduce the effectiveness of the holster or even make it unserviceable.
Consequently, attempts have been made to strengthen the holster and hanger assembly in order to counter the wishbone effect, using strong rivets or screws and sturdy metal plates to supplement or replace the existing fasteners between the hanger and holster inner side wall. Such reinforcing arrangements are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,183 of Boren and U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,293 of Bianchi. More recently, Peltier, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,895, shows a low mounted hanger that increases the wishbone effect. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,925,075 and 5,018,654 of Rogers describe a hanger assembly in which thick plastic is used in the hanger and holster side wall in place of the metal plates of Bianchi and Boren.
Typical low-mounted hangers have little or no latitude for determining the amount of "twist" of the holstered handgun grip from the body, i.e. the angle at which the free end of the handgun grip is oriented relative to the wearer's body, which determines whether the grip is turned towards or away from the wearer when viewed from above.
Low-mounted hangers typically are limited further by requiring that the holster have an inner or back side wall of a size and shape suited to the attachment of the hanger. This limitation makes these hangers unsuitable for holster designs having a side wall that is limited in size or contour. For example, competition holsters may have "skeletonized" or cut back body shapes for increased drawing speed and reduced weight, making such holsters often unsuitable for attachment of a low-mounted hanger.
The use of a low-mounted hanger also requires some provision to cover any rivets or other hard fastener means used to attach the hanger to the inner side wall of the holster. Typically a lining or other similar covering is used to cover such devices, adding to the complexity and associated cost of the holster.
The low-mounted hanger is often rigidly attached to the holster body, providing no means for adjusting the height at which the holster is suspended to suit individual needs and situations. Some holsters of this type have incorporated adjustment points, but these are typically at the back of the assembly, next to the wearer's body, requiring removal of the holster from the body to provide access to the adjustment points.
Another limitation of the low-mounted hanger mounted on the back or inner side wall of the holster for the holster manufacturer is that the holster body must be made differently for the left-handed and right-handed user. It is an advantage for the manufacturer and resaler if a single holster body is suitable for either a left-handed or right-handed user and can be configured for left- or right-handed use just prior to shipping and delivery. This reduces manufacturing costs and inventory requirements.
Additionally, when trigger-guard gripping devices, internal cylinder recesses, and spring-closed openings are incorporated into a holster having a low-mounted hanger, the forces required for releasing such devices can be remote from the mounting point of such a hanger. The force required to draw the handgun from such devices can cause deformation of the holster side walls, to the detriment of the performance and useful life of the holster. This can lead to uneven, unreliable release of the handgun.
Thus, existing holster and hanger assemblies are subject to a number of disadvantages both in manufacture and use.